Page 14

That might be how it worked for a duke, but life for a penniless relation was very different.

She swallowed and turned her head toward the oak tree.

It was far better to press her hand against the rough bark than allow herself to reach for his arm or hand.

She’d been kissed before in her youth. A baker’s son had read her poetry and stolen kisses from her before her mother discovered their tendre.

Back then, the family had some claim to status and her mother had hoped that her sister-in-law—Zoe’s mother—would sponsor her come-out.

They had economized in preparation for Kynthea’s debut, but then it had all gone wrong.

Her parents had become sick, and the depth of their financial woes had been exposed.

And now, here she was all alone with the duke beneath a towering oak. A perfect setting for an illicit kiss, but she knew it would never happen. And it hurt to put away such thoughts, especially with him so close.

“How may I help you, Your Grace?” she asked. “Do you require—”

“Good God, what happened to the sharp-tongued woman who took me to task for destroying Lady Zoe’s reputation? I swear you were here a few days ago, but lately, you have done nothing but scrape and bow before me.”

Kynthea reared back at his sharp tone. “I’m sorry?”

“I’m sorry, too! Miss Petrelli, pray tell me what has happened to your spunk?”

Her spunk? Was he joking? “I have had my likeness ridiculed on broadsheets! If I did not scrape and bow, what do you think would become of me?”

He winced as he stepped closer to her. They were well into the shadows of the tree now and exactly where a proper chaperone would never be alone with a gentleman. And yet, she was so besotted that even arguing with the man, she would not leave.

She sighed, trying to steel herself to be proper. “I should go inside.”

“Not yet,” he said as he tilted his head to the sky.

He couldn’t see anything but the budding branches of the tree, but there was enough light for her to see the masculine shape of his neck, the strength of his profile, and the exact shape of his mouth.

She took way too much interest in his mouth.

“I enjoy your company,” he finally said.

“You have a subtle wit that most people don’t catch.

You’re icily polite to those who deserve to be spanked.

And I like your smile. Your eyes crinkle at the edges even if your mouth barely moves.

I know you have found something absurdly delightful, and I want to know what it is. ”

She stared at him, her body flushed with heat. How did one answer when a duke made such a study of her?

“You don’t even smile,” she blurted. “But I see it, too. Your brows raise and you catch my eye to see if I found something funny too.”

“And you do. Every time,” he murmured. “You do.” He shook his head. “Not even Nate has the same sense of humor as I do. We’ve come to understand each other over the years, but at the beginning we had to explain our jokes to each other.”

“That’s always awkward.”

“You have no idea,” he answered, and the words echoed with loneliness.

She felt the pull then, stronger than ever. His eyes were dark here in the shadows, but they mesmerized her nonetheless. What would she do for the chance to be in his arms? What would she give up to be a duke’s lover?

She was afraid of that answer, and so she looked away. Best to focus on his words instead of the way he made her feel.

“You sound weary,” she said. “Didn’t you enjoy dinner?”

He fell back against the tree trunk, heedless of how the dirt might mar his clothing. “It was nice to take Sara on an outing. She did well, I think. She seemed happy when she headed home.”

Sara was his younger sister and since she was not yet out, she could not stay for the ball. She was also a safe topic. No one could think lustful thoughts when speaking of a man’s sister…right? “Tell me about her. From what I saw, she seems a very poised young woman.”

“Sara? I suppose so. She’s been taught since birth how to behave in public. But that’s not how she is with me.”

“No? What’s she like then?”

He closed his eyes as he seemed to think on his answer. “She has a laugh that sounds like bells to me. I have not heard it often of late, but when she lets it free, I know she is truly happy.”

“What does she like?”

“She is the opposite of Lady Zoe in that horses hold little interest for her. She likes to mix things.”

“Things?”

“Potions. Chemicals. Alchemy. What happens when one mixes one powder that I do not understand with another liquid that I’ve never heard of.”

“What does happen?”

He chuckled. “Usually nothing, though I wouldn’t advise drinking her concoctions. Sometimes they bubble, sometimes they change colors, and sometimes…they explode.”

“What!” She laughed, sure he was joking.

“Only four times that I can recall. No, five. And several more that she never tells us about. Mother gave her an entire barn to do things in and we do not ask.”

She couldn’t imagine a child given such leniency. “Why does she do this?”

“Because she’s a bluestocking. Because she’s hiding from my mother who wants her to be feminine.

And because no one has the will to say no to her.

She took my father’s death very hard.” He glanced back at the house.

“She’s the same age as Lady Zoe. Mother hopes my wife will bring some guidance to Sara. ”

“That will never happen if Lady Zoe becomes your wife. Zoe’s more likely to join her in this barn of experimentation in the hopes of finding a new poultice for an aging horse.”

He turned to regard her, his face in enough shadow that she could not read his expression. “I have no intention of marrying Zoe.”

That was not what Zoe’s parents were thinking. They’d encouraged the duke to remain close in the hopes that an offer would come by the end of the Season. After all, the two would make a nice match in title and fortune. And many society couples had a large age difference.

Kynthea didn’t want to ask the obvious question. She knew the answer would be like a stab to her heart. And that was exactly why she asked. It would do no good for her to get stars in her eyes where he was concerned. “Do you have any ladies in mind? You’ve been to several balls this week alone.”

He groaned. “Don’t remind me. Most nights I escort my mother to every ball, musicale, or whatever other function where young misses might gather. She has debutantes lined up just to curtsey at me and flutter their fans.”

“Have none stood out?”

“None.” His gaze seemed heavy upon her, and she shifted awkwardly where she stood touching the tree trunk.

“Surely someone has caught your attention, if only for a moment. That is enough to further your acquaintance.”

He smiled, his white teeth cutting through the shadows. “Only one lady has impressed me with her calm, her grace, and even her wit during a difficult time.”

She winced. She knew he had met someone. He was an eligible duke. Every lady in the land would act their best before him. “Is she your age? Does she know?”

“Yes and no. But I’m about to tell her.”

She turned to face him, forcing herself to smile. “Then someone is about to be very happy.”

He grinned. “I hope so.” Then he cupped her cheek and kissed her.

She should have seen it coming. She should have known what he was about.

Why else would a man follow a woman into the shadows beneath an oak tree except to take liberties?

And damn her traitorous heart, she wanted him to.

She’d dreamed of just this thing. When everyone said nasty things about her, he’d been the one to stop their gossip. He’d been the one to defend her honor.

And now he was moving his lips across hers, plunging his tongue between her teeth, and supporting her head as he did what he willed with her mouth.

Her breath caught, but her body responded as if she had been kissed like this a thousand times before.

She hadn’t. Indeed, no one had ever enveloped her so completely and yet been gentle against her mouth.

Their tongues dueled. Slow at first, but then with growing urgency. Soon she was clutching him, pressing against him, wanting to feel every moment of his attention. She threw herself into the madness of it all. Until he wrenched himself back.

Her heart was pounding, and her breath was short. She gulped air for a moment, and then much too quickly realized what she had done. She had welcomed his advances. More than that, she had thrown herself against him just as the biddies had accused. A brazen hussy. That was what they’d said, and now…

She pressed a hand to her wet mouth and fell back against the tree. What had she done? Why had he defended her this last week just to make improper advances now? And why, why, why had she allowed it?

“Miss Petrelli?” he said, his voice low. “Kynthea—”

She held up her hand to stop him from talking. She needed to think, to regain control of her body and mind. Had anyone seen? Did she look like a woman who had just been ravished? She certainly felt like one. Or at least, she felt like she wanted to be.

“Kynthea, what are you thinking?”

“What game are you playing?” she rasped. “Why would you defend me all week just to do this?”

He touched her cheek, but she flinched back. “I thought it was obvious. You are the woman who has caught my eye. You are—”

“Stop!” she hissed. “Stop!”

God, how this hurt! She’d been dreaming of him loving her.

She’d spent her nights pretending that they were intimate within the bounds of marriage.

To have his attention now, knowing that he only wanted a mistress, destroyed not only her dreams, but the idea that there were honorable men in the world.

And not just a good man, but a duke. One who had restored her faith in the aristocracy and England.